KR20040064481A - Air-conditioner system controlled by telephone - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: An air conditioner system controlled by telephone network is provided to set a code on a telephone at the initial control inputting control commands to an air conditioner at a remote place to prevent the inputting of control commands of a third party via a telephone network. CONSTITUTION: An air conditioner system controlled by telephone network includes a microcomputer(100) incorporated in the air conditioner, and a communication module(200). The microcomputer controls the whole operation of an air conditioner. The communication module carries out code setting or code checking procedure for the input of a control command to the air conditioner via a telephone network at a remote place. The communication module transmits a control command of which code is checked to the microcomputer.

Description

Air-conditioner system controlled by telephone

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a telephone control air conditioning system. In particular, when a user controls a remote air conditioning through a telephone network, the telephone control air conditioning system improves the security of the remote control by confirming the control authority of the air conditioning through a password input procedure. It is about.

In general, an air conditioner is composed of an outdoor unit and an indoor unit, and the refrigerant circulating in the outdoor unit and the indoor unit forms a cooling cycle of compression, condensation, expansion, and evaporation, such that the indoor air is cooled. On the contrary, as the heating cycle is formed, the function of the air conditioner is gradually expanded to perform the cooling / heating function of the indoor air regardless of the season, such as the development of a heat pump type air conditioner that performs the heating function of the room. Accordingly, the number and spread of the air conditioners are gradually increasing, such as air conditioners are individually installed in each office or room in a building.

Recently developed home network system connects a plurality of home appliances through a network network built in a building, and uses a home appliance that is in charge of a server function as a home server or another home appliance connected to the network using a dedicated home server. Central control of the instrument. In addition, as a remote controller connects to the home server through an external internet network, a control command can be input to home appliances in a building or the state information of the home appliances can be grasped.

However, such a home network system requires a high-speed Internet network and a prerequisite that a network such as a LAN network must be separately installed in a home or a building, and thus requires a high cost for initial construction. There is a limitation that can not be directly applied to large buildings or apartments.

In order to overcome this limitation, a telephone control air conditioner system has been developed in which an existing telephone network can be remotely controlled in place of the network network, and this conventional telephone control air conditioner system is illustrated in FIG. 1.

An air conditioner (AC) is connected to a telephone terminal and shares a telephone number assigned to the home. The remote controller controls the telephone unit by operating a button in the building or home where the air conditioner is installed. You can enter a command. The control command input by operating the telephone T is transmitted to the air conditioner connected to the corresponding telephone number through the public switched telephone network TN to perform a control operation.

However, since there is a possibility that another person who does not have the authority to control the air conditioner may intentionally input a control command to another air conditioner in another household, or control the air conditioner installed in another person's home by wrongly dialing a telephone number, the conventional telephone control In the case of an air conditioner system, there is a disadvantage in that the user is inconvenient because the security and safety are deteriorated.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems of the prior art, the object of the user to input the control command from the remote control to the air conditioner in the home to prevent the case that the other person inputs the control command to the air conditioner through the telephone network To provide a telephone control air conditioning system to set a password on the phone during the initial control.

1 is a view showing a conventional telephone control air conditioning system,

2 is a block diagram of a telephone control air conditioner system of the present invention;

3 is a detailed configuration diagram of a telephone control air conditioner system of the present invention;

Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating a method of operation of the telephone control air conditioner system of the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols on main parts of the drawings>

100: microcomputer unit 110: memory

200: communication module unit 210: ring signal detection unit

220: hook signal generator 230: DTMF signal receiver

240: automatic response generator

The telephone control air conditioner system according to the present invention for solving the above problems is a microcomputer 100 for controlling the overall operation of the air conditioner to perform the air conditioning in the room, and a control command can be input to the air conditioner from a remote place through a telephone network It performs a password setting or password verification procedure, and characterized in that it comprises a communication module 200 for transmitting the control command confirmed the password to the microcomputer.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the telephone control air conditioner system according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of air conditioners (ACs) and telephones are connected to a telephone terminal in a home, and are transmitted through a public switched telephone network (TN) through the telephone terminal. Signal transmission / reception with the telephone T on the side.

The other party of the present embodiment is a remote controller who wants to input a control command from the remote place to the air conditioner in the home, and controls the function of the air conditioner in the home by transmitting DTMF sounds generated by operating the button unit of the telephone T. The air conditioner may be a single air conditioner composed of an indoor unit and an outdoor unit, or may be a multi air conditioner in which a plurality of indoor units are connected to one outdoor unit.

The microcomputer unit 100 embedded in the air conditioner (AC) outputs a control signal for controlling the refrigerant flow and the overall operation of the indoor and outdoor units to perform the indoor air conditioning, the air conditioner (AC) is a telephone switching network (TN) The communication module 200 is configured to perform a password setting or a password verification procedure so that a control command can be input to the air conditioner from a remote place, and transmits the control command whose password is confirmed to the microcomputer 100.

In addition, the microcomputer 100 includes a memory 110 that stores a password set through a telephone network.

The communication module 200 may include a hook signal generator 220 for outputting a hook on signal so that a telephone connection is made when a predetermined number of ring signals are detected from a telephone station, and a dual tone multi-frequency transmitted in a telephone connection state. A DTMF signal receiver 230 for receiving a DTMF signal, converting it digitally, and transmitting it to the microcomputer 100, and an automatic response generator for outputting a voice message according to a control signal output from the microcomputer 100. 240, which will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 3.

The ring signal detection unit 210 of the air conditioner connected to the telephone network through the telephone terminal receives the ring signal received through the telephone switching network (TN). As the ring signal detection unit 210 is connected to the microcomputer unit 100 of the air conditioner, the microcomputer unit 100 is connected to the telephone signal when the ring signal sounds a predetermined number of times, that is, the hook signal generator 220 to be hooked on. Connect the relay (RL) to determine the hook on / off by controlling the. Accordingly, the telephone T operated by the remote controller becomes the transmitting side and the air conditioner AC becomes the receiving side to maintain the 1: 1 telephone connection state.

In the telephone connection state, the remote controller operates a computer device that can be connected to the telephone (T) or the telephone exchange network (TN) of the sender to input a control command of the air conditioner (AC), and the control command transmits the telephone network as a DTMF signal. To reach continuously.

The DTMF (dual tone multi frequency) signal means a dual tone produced by combining a high frequency and a low frequency by pressing a button of the phone. The DTMF signal is a DTMF signal receiving unit by separating a signal through a transformer The DTMF signal receiving unit analyzes a DTMF (Dual Tone Multi-Frequency) signal generated by a button operated by a remote controller, and outputs it to the microcomputer unit 100 of the air conditioner.

When the DTMF signal includes a control command for the air conditioner, the microcomputer unit 100 performs operation control according to the control command only when the transmitting side has a remote control authority of the air conditioner (AC).

Therefore, when the microcomputer 100 hooks up, it determines whether a password is preset in the memory. If the password setting details are not stored in the memory, the microcomputer unit 100 determines that the password is the first remote control request and a voice message requesting the password is set. The automatic response generating unit 240 is controlled to be output.

Accordingly, the automatic response generating unit 240 outputs a guide message to set a password in the telephone connection state when the remote control of the air conditioner (AC), the remote controller of the transmitting side password and password setting completion button (* or # button Press () to store the input in the memory 110.

After the password setting is completed, a message for inputting a password is output from the subsequent time point, and the control inputted by the remote controller only when the password inputted by the remote controller of the transmitting side is compared with the password set in the memory 110 is the same. Operation of the air conditioner AC is performed according to the command signal.

If the password inputted by the remote controller is not the same as the password set in the memory 110, the auto-responder generator 240 maintains the hook-on if it is the same after providing three re-entry opportunities. Turn it off.

The cipher setting completion button or the number of times of providing a re-entry opportunity may be changed by the producer.

Looking at the operation of the telephone control air conditioning system of the present invention configured as described above with reference to FIG.

The remote controller dials the telephone number connected to the air conditioner installed in the home. The ring signal detection unit of the air conditioner detects the ring signal (S1).

The microcomputer unit counts a predetermined number of rings, and when a predetermined number of rings ring, the microcomputer loads the load by turning on the relay through the hook signal generator. As a result, the receiving side (air conditioner) is switched to the 1: 1 connection state with the transmitting side (remote controller). (S2)

The microcomputer unit determines whether a password is stored in a memory when a hook-on signal is generated when a remote control request is received through a telephone network for the first time after installation of the air conditioner.

If the password is not stored, and outputs a guide voice message requesting the password setting by controlling the automatic response generator (S5), accordingly, the remote controller can set a new password (S6). The new password set by the remote controller is stored in the memory under the control of the microcomputer unit (S7).

If a password is stored in the memory, a voice message requesting a password input is output (S4).

The password entered by the user is compared with the password stored in the memory (S8). If the password is the same, the controller switches to the standby state so that the control command of the air conditioner can be input through the telephone of the transmitter. Accordingly, the remote controller inputs a control command of the air conditioner (S9).

The DTMF sound generated by the button operated by the remote controller is transmitted to the DTMF receiver through a transformer for input of a control command of the air conditioner, and the DTMF receiver analyzes the DTMF sound to confirm which number has been continuously pressed and then microcomputers it. In response to the transmission, the microcomputer unit outputs a control signal according to a control command to perform operation control of the air conditioner (S10).

If the password is not the same, the retry request message is attempted three times. If the password inputted by the remote controller is not the same as the password stored in the memory until the third attempt, the microcomputer unit disconnects the telephone connection by turning off the relay through the hook signal generator (S11).

Telephone control air conditioner system of the present invention configured as described above to set a password on the telephone during the first remote control to confirm the control authority of the remote controller to control the air conditioner remotely over the telephone network, and before entering the control command password input and The verification procedure is preceded to enhance the security of the remote control, thereby improving the safety and reliability of the remote control.

Claims (3)

A microcomputer unit for controlling all operations of the air conditioner performing indoor air conditioning; Performing a password setting or password verification procedure so that a control command can be input to the air conditioner from a remote place through a telephone network, and including a communication module unit for transmitting a password-controlled control command to the microcomputer unit system. The method of claim 1, The communication module unit includes a hook signal generator for outputting a hook on signal to be connected to a telephone when a predetermined number of ring signals are detected from a telephone station; A DTMF signal receiving unit for receiving a dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signal transmitted in a telephone connection state and digitally converting the DTMF signal and transmitting the digital signal to the microcomputer; And an automatic response generator for outputting a voice message according to the control signal output by the microcomputer. The method of claim 2, And the microcomputer unit is configured to output a control signal to the auto answering unit so that a voice message requesting a password setting is transmitted through the telephone network when there is no password stored in the memory.